Bat Abode - how to build a house for bats beneficial to gardening - Brief Article

Flower & Garden Magazine, July, 2001

Despite their creepy reputation, bats make excellent neighbors. They're quiet and polite, and they can help eliminate all kinds of pesky insects. (One little brown bat can gobble as many as 500 mosquitoes in just one hour!) With this project's fun Gothic design, you're sure to lure at least a few of these furry flying mammals out of Transylvania and into your backyard. For tips on siting your bat abode, contact Bat Conservation International, P.O. Box 162603, Austin, TX 78716.

CUTTING LIST

CODE   DESCRIPTION        QTY.   MATERIAL      DIMENSIONS

 A     Foreground piece    1     3/8" siding   14" x 28"
 B     Back piece          1     3/8" siding   14" x 28"
 C     Brace               1     1 x 2 stock   18" long
 D     Interior divider    1     3/8" siding   12" x 16"
 E     Sides               2     1 x 4 stock   24" long
 F     Front piece         1     3/8" siding   14" x 18"
 G     Bat blocks          2     1 x 4 stock   14" long
 H     Roof piece          1     3/8" siding   8" x 26"

* RECOMMENDED MATERIAL

Pine or cedar for the brace (C), sides (E), and bat blocks (G); T-1-11 exterior siding for all other, pieces

* RECOMMENDED FINISH

Flat black exterior paint for painted pieces; clear water sealer other pieces

* MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES

1/2 piece of 3/8-inch exterior siding,
4' x 4'
7 linear feet of 1 x 4 stock
2 linear feet of 1 x 2 stock
2 pieces of screen, each 12" x 16"
Clear silicone caulk

* HARDWARE

46 3d finish nails
20 6d finish nails
12 3/4" brads
Staples

* ADDITIONAL TOOL

Miter box Jigsaw or coping saw with a fine blade Staple gun

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make photocopies of Figures 1, 2, and 3 (see the following page). Then enlarge Figure 1 until it's 14 inches across and 28 inches tall. Enlarge Figure 2 until it's 121/2 inches long from nose to tail, and Figure 3 until it's 251/2 inches long and 71/2 inches wide. (You may need to cut the patterns into halves or thirds and enlarge each piece equally.)

2. Cut the foreground piece (A). Trace the pattern from Figure 1 onto it. Use a drill with a 11/4-inch bit to bore the circles that form the decorative "clover" shapes, centering each hole on the marks shown in Figure 1.

3. Use a drill with a 1/4-inch bit to bore starter holes inside the lines of the pattern on the foreground piece (A). Then carefully cut out the piece's shape and the pattern using a jigsaw or a coping saw with a fine blade.

4. From the tip of the arch on the foreground piece (A), measure 10 inches down and mark a line across the piece's width at this point. Cut the foreground piece into two pieces at the line you just marked. The bottom piece will fit on top of the front piece (F), and the piece with the arch will fit on top of the back piece (B).

5. Cut the back piece (B); then trace the arched shape (but not the interior design) of Figure 1 onto it. Use a jigsaw or coping saw to cut the arched shape.

6. Find the center, widthwise, of the back piece (B) and mark a straight line along its length at this point.

7. Cut the brace (C). At one end, mark a 45 [degrees] angle, from one corner across the face. Cut this angle using a miterbox for added precision.

8. Place the brace (C) on top of the back piece (B), centering its edge over the line you marked in step 6. The flat end of the brace should be flush with the bottom end of the back piece, and the angle should face up (see Figure 4). Nail the brace in place with one 3d finish nail every 2 inches.

9. Cut the interior divider (D), and staple a 12-by-16-inch piece of screen to both sides of it; the screen will give the bat abode's residents a good surface to cling to.

10. Center the interior divider (D), face down, on top of the brace (C), bottom ends flush. Measure out from the brace on both sides, top and bottom, to make sure the assembly is centered and square. Then nail the interior divider to the brace, using one 3d finish nail every 2 inches.

11. Cut two sides (E). Mark a 45 [degrees] angle across the face of each side at both ends. The angles on each piece should be parallel (see E pieces in Figure 4). Cut the angles using a miter box for added precision.

12. Using Figure 4 as a guide, arrange the sides (E) against the back piece (B), with one edge of each side against the face of the back piece. The outside face of each side should be flush with one edge of the back piece, and the shorter angle at the bottom end of each side should be flush with the bottom end of the back piece. Nail the sides into place, using one 3d finish nail every 21/2".

13. Cut the front piece (F), two bat blocks (G), and the roof piece (H). Trace the pattern from Figure 2 onto each bat block and the pattern from Figure 3 onto the roof piece. Cut out the shapes using a jigsaw or a coping saw.

14. Paint all the pieces black except the foreground (A) and the interior divider (D). Let the paint dry.

15. Using Figure 4 as a guide, place the front piece (F) over the sides (E), ends even and edges flush with the outside faces of the sides. Nail the front piece in place with three evenly spaced 6d finish nails at each joint.